A cloisonné enamel moonflask ‘Bianhu’ (Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century)
A cloisonné enamel moonflask ‘Bianhu’ (Ming dynasty, 16th/17th century)
Description
Dimensions: 18.2cm high
Provenance:
Anthony Carter, Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, London, June 2004
Dr Kenneth Lawley, Edinburgh (1937-2023)
A rare flask featuring a cylindrical neck with two bracket-shaped handles attached to the circular body at the high, rounded shoulders. The body is supported by a short, undecorated vertical gilt foot. The surface is decorated with a coiled dragon amidst scrolling lotus motifs, while the handles are accented with small cloud designs. The decoration is rendered in dark green, red, yellow, mixed red and green, and translucent coffee tones, all set against a turquoise ground.
Compare a closely related example sold at Sotheby’s London, 28 October 1988, lot 357 and a similar example decorated with lotus scrolls, illustrated in Die Ware aus dem Teufelsland. Chinesische und japanische Cloisonné- und Champleve- Arbeiten von 1400 bis 1900 [Ware of the Devil’s Country: Chinese and Japanese cloisonné and champlevé from 1400 – 1900], Gunhild Gabbert Avitabile, Hannover, 1981, pl. 37. A further two flasks of similar shape, but of a larger size and decorated with peach branches, from the Pierre Uldry Collection, exhibited in Chinesisches Cloisonné Die Sammlung Pierre Uldry, Rietberg Museum, Zurich, 1985, cat. nos 136 and 138.
